Electronic device and method for determining lifespan and failure of nonvolatile memory storage device

ABSTRACT

Various embodiments provide an electronic device and method for determining the lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memory storage device. The electronic device and the method according to various embodiments may be configured to determine whether the storage device has failed in response to a connection with the storage device, output a guidance message for replacing the storage device when the storage device fails, confirm whether the storage device has a function of autonomously identifying its state when the storage device is normal, check the lifespan of the storage device based on state information received from the storage device when the storage device has the function, estimate the lifespan of the storage device when the storage device does not have the function, and output the guidance message for replacing the storage device based on the lifespan.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. Application No. 17/383,872filed on Jul. 23, 2021, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 toKorean Patent Application Nos. 10-2020-0092622 filed on Jul. 24, 2020and 10-2021-0079984 filed on Jun. 21, 2021 in the Korean intellectualproperty office, the disclosures of which are herein incorporated byreference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various embodiments relate to an electronic device and method fordetermining the lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memory storagedevice.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The capacity and speed of a nonvolatile memory storage device arerapidly increased. Accordingly, the nonvolatile memory storage device ismounted on an electronic device and widely used. The storage device haspredetermined lifespan for its write and erase operations due to itsphysical and electrical characteristics. The lifespan is decreased asthe storage device is used. Furthermore, if the lifespan has a specificvalue or less, the storage device does not operate normally. Forexample, an average write speed of the storage device is decreased ordata is not stored in the storage device normally. A storage device,such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SDD), has afunction of autonomously identifying its state and provides stateinformation based on the identified state, so that a user can replacethe storage device. However, a storage device, such as a secure digital(SD) card or a USB flash memory, does not have such a function.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This summary is not intended to identify key features ofthe claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid indetermining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Various embodiments provide an electronic device and method fordetermining the lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memory storagedevice mounted on the electronic device.

Various embodiments provide an electronic device and method fordetermining the lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memory storagedevice not having a function of autonomously identifying its state.

Various embodiments provide an electronic device on and from which anonvolatile memory storage device is mounted and separated, and a methodthereof.

A method of an electronic device according to various embodiments mayinclude detecting a connection with a storage device, estimating alifespan of the storage device, and outputting a guidance message forreplacing the storage device based on the lifespan.

A method of an electronic device according to various embodiments mayinclude determining whether a storage device has failed in response to aconnection with the storage device, outputting a guidance message forreplacing the storage device when the storage device fails, estimating alifespan of the storage device when the storage device is normal, andoutputting a guidance message for replacing the storage device based onthe lifespan.

An electronic device according to various embodiments includes aconnection terminal configured for a connection with the storage deviceand a processor connected to the connection terminal and configured tostore data in the storage device through the connection terminal. Theprocessor may be configured to estimate a lifespan of the storage deviceand to output a guidance message for replacing the storage device basedon the lifespan.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device can determinethe lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memory storage device mountedthereon. In this case, the electronic device can confirm the lifespan ofa storage device having a function of autonomously identifying its statebased on state information from the storage device. In addition, theelectronic device can estimate the lifespan of a storage device nothaving the function of autonomously identifying its state. That is, theelectronic device can determine the lifespan and failure of a storagedevice regardless of the type of storage device mounted thereon.Accordingly, the electronic device can accurately notify a user of thetime when the storage device is replaced based on the lifespan andfailure of the storage device. As a result, use efficiency of thestorage device can be increased.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a diagram specifically illustrating a processor of theelectronic device according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram exemplarily illustrating a data processing unit ofFIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a diagram specifically illustrating a processor of theelectronic device according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of the electronic deviceaccording to various embodiments.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a step of determining whether a storagedevice has failed in FIG. 5 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a step of determining whether thestorage device has failed in FIG. 5 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a step of determining whether thestorage device has failed in FIG. 5 according to still anotherembodiment.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a step of estimating the lifespan ofthe storage device in FIG. 5 according to an embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a step of estimating the lifespan ofthe storage device in FIG. 5 according to another embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a step of estimating the lifespan ofthe storage device in FIG. 5 according to still another embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle on which the electronicdevice is mounted according to various embodiments.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the electronic device of FIG. 12 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwill be appreciated that various changes can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of this document are described withreference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating an electronic device 100according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 1 , the electronic device 100 according to variousembodiments may be implemented in a way to be mounted on and separatedfrom a nonvolatile memory storage device 10. For example, the storagedevice 10 may include at least one of a secure digital (SD) card or auniversal serial bus (USB) flash drive. The electronic device 100 mayinclude at least one of a camera module 110, a connection terminal 120,a communication module 130, an input module 140, an output module 150, asensor module 160, a memory 170, or a processor 180. In someembodiments, at least one of the components of the electronic device 100may be omitted, and at least another component may be added to theelectronic device 100. In some embodiments, at least two of thecomponents of the electronic device 100 may be implemented as a singleintegrated circuit. For example, the electronic device 100 may includeat least one of a black box, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a computer,a notebook, a terminal for digital broadcasting, personal digitalassistants (PDA), a portable multimedia player (PMP), a tablet PC, agame console, a wearable device, an Internet of things (IoT) device, ora robot.

The camera module 110 may capture an image in the electronic device 100.In this case, the camera module 110 may be installed at a predeterminedlocation of the electronic device 100, and may capture an image. Thecamera module 110 may collect an image signal through the capturing. Forexample, the camera module 110 may include at least one of a lens, atleast one image sensor or a flash.

The connection terminal 120 may be physically connected an externaldevice 102 or the storage device 10 in the electronic device 100. Tothis end, the connection terminal 120 may include at least oneconnector. For example, the connector may include at least one of anHDMI connector, a USB connector, an SD card connector or an audioconnector.

The communication module 130 may perform communication with the externaldevice 102 in the electronic device 100. The communication module 130may establish a communication channel between the electronic device 100and the external device 102, and may perform communication with theexternal device 102 through the communication channel. In this case, theexternal device 102 may include at least one of a satellite, a basestation, a server or another electronic device. The communication module130 may include at least one of a wired communication module or awireless communication module. The wired communication module isconnected to the external device 102 through wires via the connectionterminal 120, and may perform communication through the wires. Thewireless communication module may include at least one of ashort-distance communication module or a long-distance communicationmodule. The short-distance communication module may communicate with theexternal device 102 by using the short-distance communication method.For example, the short-distance communication method may include atleast one of Bluetooth, WiFi direct, or infrared data association(IrDA). The long-distance communication module may communicate with theexternal device 102 by using the long-distance communication method. Inthis case, the long-distance communication module may communicate withthe external device 102 over a network 190. For example, the network 190may include at least one of a cellular network, the Internet, or acomputer network, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN).

The input module 140 may input a signal to be used to at least onecomponent of the electronic device 100. The input module 140 maygenerate a signal by receiving, from a user, a command or data to beused in the processor 180. In this case, the input module 140 maycollect an audio signal. For example, the input module 140 may includeat least one of a microphone, a mouse or a keyboard. In an embodiment,the input module 140 may include at least one of a touch circuitryconfigured to detect a touch or a sensor circuitry configured to measurethe intensity of a force generated by a touch.

The output module 150 may output information of the electronic device100. The output module 150 may include at least one of a display modulefor visually displaying information or an audio output module foroutputting information as an audio signal. For example, the displaymodule may include at least one of a display, a hologram device or aprojector. For example, the display module may be implemented as a touchscreen by being assembled with at least one of the touch circuitry orsensor circuitry of the input module 140. For example, the audio outputdevice may include at least one of a speaker or a receiver.

The sensor module 160 may generate an electric signal or data valuecorresponding to an operating state (e.g., power or a temperature)within the electronic device 100 or an external environment state. Forexample, the sensor module 160 may include at least one of a radarsensor, a LIDAR sensor, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmosphericpressure sensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gripsensor, a proximity sensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, abio sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor or an illuminationsensor.

The memory 170 may store various data used by at least one component ofthe electronic device 100. For example, the memory 170 may include atleast one of a volatile memory or a nonvolatile memory. The data mayinclude at least one program and input data or output data related tothe program. The program may be stored in the memory 170 as softwareincluding at least one instruction, and may include at least one of anoperating system, a middleware or an application, for example.

The processor 180 may control at least one component of the electronicdevice 100 by executing a program of the memory 170. Accordingly, theprocessor 180 may perform data processing or operation. In this case,the processor 180 may execute an instruction stored in the memory 170.The processor 180 may be connected to the connection terminal 120, andmay store data in the storage device 10 through the connection terminal120. In this case, the processor 180 may store data as files. Whileconnected to the storage device 10, the processor 180 may determine thelifespan and failure of the storage device 10. Furthermore, theprocessor 180 may output a guidance message for replacing the storagedevice 10 based on the lifespan or failure of the storage device 10. Inthis case, the processor 180 may output the guidance message through theoutput module 150. For example, the processor 180 may display theguidance message as at least one of text or an emission signal throughthe display module, or may output the guidance message as an audiosignal through the audio output module. Accordingly, a user of theelectronic device 100 may determine whether to replace the storagedevice 10 based on the guidance message, and will replace the storagedevice 10 according to circumstances.

FIG. 2 is a diagram specifically illustrating a processor 180 of theelectronic device 100 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is adiagram exemplarily illustrating a data processing unit 210 of FIG. 2 .

Referring to FIG. 2 , the processor 180 of the electronic device 100according to the first embodiment is connected to the storage device 10mounted on the electronic device 100, and may include at least one of adata processing unit 210, a storage buffer 220, a device identificationunit 230, a support information database 240, a use record database 250,a buffer confirmation unit 260, an integrity confirmation unit 270, astate identification unit 280, or a lifespan estimation unit 290. InFIG. 2 , all the components of the processor 180 have been illustratedas being configured within the processor 180, but the present disclosureis not limited thereto. That is, some of the components of the processor180 may be configured outside the processor 180.

The data processing unit 210 may process data to be stored in thestorage device 10. In this case, the data processing unit 210 mayprocess a signal or data received from at least one of the camera module110, the input module 140, the sensor module 160, the memory 170, or thecommunication module 130. For example, if the electronic device 100 isan image recording device for encoding image data obtained through thecamera module 110, such as a blackbox for a vehicle or a car videorecorder, as illustrated in FIG. 3 , the data processing unit 210 mayinclude an image signal processor (ISP) 311, a video encoder 321, ananalog-to-digital convertor (ADC) 313, an audio encoder 323, and amultiplexer (MUX) 330. The ISP 311 may convert, into digital image data,an analog image signal received through the camera module 110. The videoencoder 321 may represent the digital image data as bits. The ADC 313may convert, into digital audio data, an analog audio signal receivedthrough the microphone of the input module 140. The audio encoder 323may represent the digital audio data as bits. The MUX 330 may output theimage data and the audio data to the storage buffer 220 together. Inthis case, the MUX 330 may integrate the image data and the audio datainto multimedia data, and may output the multimedia data to the storagebuffer 220.

The storage buffer 220 may be configured to temporarily store datastored in the storage device 10. To this end, the storage buffer 220 maybe disposed between the data processing unit 210 and the storage device10. Furthermore, the storage buffer 220 may store data output by thedata processing unit 210. Accordingly, the storage device 10 may fetchdata stored in the storage buffer 220, and may store the data. In thiscase, if the lifespan of the storage device 10 sufficiently remains, anaverage write speed in the storage device 10 is maintained within anormal range, and the amount of data stored in the storage buffer 220may also be maintained to a buffer threshold or less. Furthermore, ifthe lifespan of the storage device 10 does not sufficiently remain, inorder to recover a storage cell or relocate a cell to another cellwithin the storage device 10, an average write speed in the storagedevice 10 may be decreased less than the normal range, and the amount ofdata stored in the storage buffer 220 may be increased to exceed abuffer threshold.

The device identification unit 230 may identify the storage device 10 inresponse to a connection with the storage device 10. In this case, thedevice identification unit 230 may detect identification information ofthe storage device 10 from the storage device 10. In this case, theidentification information of the storage device 10 may includemanufacturer information (e.g., an original equipment manufacturing(OEM) code), product information (e.g., a product name or a productcode), and a unique identifier (e.g., a serial number) of the storagedevice 10.

The support information database 240 may have stored therein supportinformation related to the storage device 10 which may be mounted on theelectronic device 100. For example, the support information database 240may be present inside the electronic device 100. In FIG. 2 , the supportinformation database 240 has been illustrated as being configured withinthe processor 180, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.That is, although not illustrated, the support information database 240may be present outside the processor 180, for example, in the memory170. For another example, although not illustrated, the supportinformation database 240 may be present outside the electronic device100. In this case, the support information database 240 may be preset ina server (not illustrated) capable of communicating with the electronicdevice 100. The support information database 240 may store supportinformation of a storage device 10 in accordance with identificationinformation of the corresponding storage device 10. The supportinformation may include at least one of whether the storage device 10has a function of autonomously identifying its state, or a maximumstorage quantity of the storage device 10 predetermined by amanufacturer. A function of autonomously identifying, by the storagedevice 10, its state may be denoted as a health status monitoringfunction. The maximum storage quantity may be denoted as terabytewritten (TBW). A maximum storage quantity when a write amplificationfactor (WAF) is 1 may be represented as a terabyte unit. The WAF may bea value predetermined with respect to the storage device 10 depending ona data storage method and characteristic of the storage device 10. Forexample, the WAF may be experimentally or theoretically deriveddepending on an implementation method of an application and file systemof the electronic device 100 using the storage device 10.

The use record database 250 may have stored the use record of thestorage device 10 that had been mounted on the electronic device 100.According to the first embodiment, the use record database 250 may bepresent inside the electronic device 100. In FIG. 2 , the use recorddatabase 250 has been illustrated as being configured within theprocessor 180, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Thatis, although not illustrated, the use record database 250 may be presentoutside the processor 180, for example, in the memory 170. The userecord database 250 may store the use record of a corresponding storagedevice 10 in accordance with identification information of the storagedevice 10. The use record may include a record of the amount of datastored in the storage device 10.

The buffer confirmation unit 260 may confirm the amount of data storedin the storage buffer 220. In this case, the buffer confirmation unit260 may monitor whether the amount of data stored in the storage buffer220 is greater than a buffer threshold.

The integrity confirmation unit 270 may confirm the integrity of each offiles of data stored in the storage device 10. In this case, the storagedevice 10 may store verification values for respective files whilestoring data as the files. For example, the verification values may berepresented as a hash value or a file check sum. In this case, theverification values may be generated by the data processing unit 210.For example, if the electronic device 100 is an image recording devicefor encoding image data obtained through the camera module 110, such asa blackbox for a vehicle or a car video recorder, the verificationvalues may be generated by the MUX 330. However, when the lifespan ofthe storage device 10 is reached, a broken phenomenon occurs in a filestored in the storage device 10. Accordingly, a verification value ofthe corresponding file may also be changed. Accordingly, the integrityconfirmation unit 270 may confirm the integrity of each of files byusing verification values of the files. In this case, the integrityconfirmation unit 270 may divide each of the files into a normal file oran abnormal file.

The state identification unit 280 may identify a state of the storagedevice 10. Furthermore, the state identification unit 280 may obtainstate information from the storage device 10 having a function ofautonomously identifying its state.

The lifespan estimation unit 290 may determine whether the storagedevice 10 has failed. The lifespan estimation unit 290 may confirmwhether a write protection mode has been set in the storage device 10through the state identification unit 280, and may determine whether thestorage device 10 has failed based on the confirmation. In this case,the write protection mode may be set in the storage device 10 when thelifespan of the storage device 10 is reached. Accordingly, if the writeprotection mode has been set in the storage device 10, the lifespanestimation unit 290 may determine that the storage device 10 has failed.The lifespan estimation unit 290 may determine whether the storagedevice 10 has failed based on a count of abnormal files confirmedthrough the integrity confirmation unit 270. That is, when the count isgreater than a count threshold, the state identification unit 280 maydetermine that the storage device 10 has failed. Accordingly, if it isdetermined that the storage device 10 has failed, the lifespanestimation unit 290 may output, through the output module 150, aguidance message based on the failure of the storage device 10.

Furthermore, the lifespan estimation unit 290 may estimate the lifespanof the storage device 10. If it is confirmed that the storage device 10has the function of autonomously identifying its state through thesupport information database 240, the lifespan estimation unit 290 maycheck the lifespan of the storage device 10 based on state informationreceived from the storage device 10 through the state identificationunit 280. If it is confirmed that the storage device 10 does not havethe function of autonomously identifying its state through the supportinformation database 240, the lifespan estimation unit 290 may estimatethe lifespan of the storage device 10. The lifespan estimation unit 290may check the amount of data stored in the storage buffer 220 throughthe buffer confirmation unit 260, and may estimate the lifespan of thestorage device 10 based on the checked amount. The lifespan estimationunit 290 may check a record of the amount of data stored in the storagedevice 10 through the use record database 250, and may estimate thelifespan of the storage device 10 based on the checked record. In thiscase, when storing data in the storage device 10 is terminated, thelifespan estimation unit 290 may update a record of the amount of datastored in the storage device 10 in the use record database 250. In thiscase, the lifespan estimation unit 290 may estimate the lifespan of thestorage device 10 based on the product of the amount of data stored inthe storage device 10 and a WAF predetermined with respect to thestorage device 10. Accordingly, the lifespan estimation unit 290 mayestimate the lifespan of the storage device 10, and may output aguidance message for replacing the storage device 10 through the outputmodule 150 based on the estimated lifespan.

FIG. 4 is a diagram specifically illustrating a processor 180 of theelectronic device 100 according to a second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4 , the processor 180 of the electronic device 100according to the second embodiment is connected to the storage device 10mounted on the electronic device 100, and may include at least one of adata processing unit 210, a storage buffer 220, a device identificationunit 230, a support information database 240, a buffer confirmation unit260, an integrity confirmation unit 270, a state identification unit280, or a lifespan estimation unit 290. In FIG. 4 , all the componentsof the processor 180 have been illustrated as being configured withinthe processor 180, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.That is, some of the components of the processor 180 may be configuredoutside the processor 180. In this case, the components of the secondembodiment are generally similar to those of the first embodiment, anddetailed descriptions thereof are omitted. However, in the firstembodiment, the electronic device 100 includes the use record database250. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the storage device 10 mayinclude a use record database 450.

The use record database 450 may have stored the use record of thestorage device 10. According to the second embodiment, the use recorddatabase 450 is present within the storage device 10, and may havestored only the use record of the corresponding storage device 10. Theuse record database 450 may store a record of the amount of data storedin the corresponding storage device 10.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a method of the electronic device 100according to various embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 5 , in step 510, the electronic device 100 may detecta connection with the storage device 10. When the processor 180 isconnected to the connection terminal 120 and the storage device 10 ismounted on the electronic device 100, the storage device 10 may beconnected to the connection terminal 120. Accordingly, the processor 180may detect the connection with the storage device 10 through theconnection terminal 120.

In step 520, the electronic device 100 may determine whether the storagedevice 10 has failed. According to an embodiment, the processor 180 maydetermine whether the storage device 10 has failed based on whether thewrite protection mode has been set in the storage device 10. This willbe more specifically described with reference to FIG. 6 . According toanother embodiment, the processor 180 may determine whether the storagedevice 10 has failed based on the integrity of files of data stored inthe storage device 10. This will be more specifically described withreference to FIG. 7 . According to still another embodiment, theprocessor 180 may determine whether the storage device 10 has failedbased on a combination of whether the write protection mode has been setin the storage device 10 and the integrity of files of data stored inthe storage device 10. This will be more specifically described withreference to FIG. 8 . In this case, if it is determined that the storagedevice 10 has failed, the processor 180 may output, through the outputmodule 150, a guidance message based on a failure of the storage device10. Furthermore, if it is determined that the storage device 10 isnormal, the processor 180 may proceed to step 530.

In step 530, the electronic device 100 may detect identificationinformation of the storage device 10. The processor 180 may detect theidentification information of the storage device 10 from the storagedevice 10. In this case, the identification information of the storagedevice 10 may include manufacturer information, product information, anda unique identifier of the storage device 10.

In step 540, the electronic device 100 may determine whether thelifespan of the storage device 10 may be checked from the storage device10. The processor 180 may confirm whether the storage device 10 has thefunction of autonomously identifying its state from the supportinformation database 240 based on the identification information of thestorage device 10. In this case, if the storage device 10 has thefunction of autonomously identifying its state, the processor 180 maydetermine that the lifespan can be checked from the storage device 10.If the storage device 10 has the function of autonomously identifyingits state, the storage device 10 may provide state information. In thiscase, the state information may be denoted a health status command. Ifthe storage device 10 does not have the function of autonomouslyidentifying its state, the processor 180 may determine that the lifespancannot be checked from the storage device 10.

If it is determined that the lifespan can be checked from the storagedevice 10 in step 540, in step 542, the electronic device 100 may checkthe lifespan of the storage device 10 from the storage device 10. Theprocessor 180 may receive state information from the storage device 10,and may check the lifespan of the storage device 10 based on the stateinformation. Furthermore, in step 544, the electronic device 100 maycompare the lifespan of the storage device 10 with a use threshold. Theprocessor 180 may determine whether the lifespan of the storage device10 remains to the extent that it is greater than the use threshold. Ifit is determined that the lifespan of the storage device 10 is equal toor smaller than a use threshold or less in step 544, in step 546, theelectronic device 100 may output a guidance message. The processor 180may output the guidance message for replacing the storage device 10through the output module 150. In this case, the processor 180 maygenerate the guidance message so that the lifespan of the storage device10 is indicated.

If it is determined that the lifespan cannot be checked from the storagedevice 10 in step 540, in step 550, the electronic device 100 may storedata in the storage device 10, and may estimate the lifespan of thestorage device 10. Alternatively, in step 544, if it is determined thatthe lifespan of the storage device 10 remains to the extent that it isgreater than the use threshold, in step 550, the electronic device 100may store data in the storage device 10, and may estimate the lifespanof the storage device 10. According to an embodiment, the processor 180may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 based on the amountof data stored in the storage buffer 220 while storing data in thestorage device 10, by using the storage buffer 220. This will be morespecifically described later with reference to FIG. 9 . According toanother embodiment, before storing data in the storage device 10, theprocessor 180 may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 basedon a record of the amount of data stored in the storage device 10. Thiswill be more specifically described with reference to FIG. 10 .According to still another embodiment, the processor 180 may estimatethe lifespan of the storage device 10 by a combination of a record ofthe amount of data stored in the storage device 10 and the amount ofdata stored in the storage buffer 220. This will be more specificallydescribed with reference to FIG. 11 . In this case, the processor 180may output a guidance message for replacing the storage device 10 whilestoring data in the storage device 10 or without storing data in thestorage device 10, based on the lifespan of the storage device 10.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the step (step 520) of determiningwhether the storage device 10 has failed in FIG. 5 according to anembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 6 , in step 610, the electronic device 100 maydetermine whether a write protection mode has been set in the storagedevice 10. In this case, when the lifespan of the storage device 10 isreached, the write protection mode may be set in the storage device 10.The processor 180 may determine whether the write protection mode hasbeen set in the storage device 10, and may determine whether the storagedevice 10 has failed based on the determination.

If it is determined that the write protection mode has been set in thestorage device 10 in step 610, in step 620, the electronic device 100may output a guidance message. In this case, the processor 180 maydetermine that the storage device 10 has failed, and may output theguidance message. The processor 180 may output the guidance messagebased on a failure of the storage device 10 through the output module150.

If the write protection mode has not been set in the storage device 10in step 610, the electronic device 100 may proceed to step 530. In thiscase, the processor 180 may determine that the storage device 10 isnormal.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the step (step 520) of determiningwhether the storage device 10 has failed in FIG. 5 according to anotherembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7 , in step 710, the electronic device 100 may confirmthe integrity of each of files of data stored in the storage device 10.In this case, the storage device 10 may store verification values of therespective files while storing the data as the files. For example, theverification values may be represented as a hash value or a file checksum. In this case, the verification values may be generated by the dataprocessing unit 210. For example, if the electronic device 100 is animage recording device for encoding image data obtained through thecamera module 110, such as a blackbox for a vehicle or a car videorecorder, the verification values may be generated by the MUX 330.However, when the lifespan of the storage device 10 is reached, a brokenphenomenon occurs in a file stored in the storage device 10, and thus averification value of a corresponding file may also be changed.Accordingly, the processor 180 may confirm the integrity of thecorresponding file based on the verification value of the correspondingfile. That is, the processor 180 may confirm whether the correspondingfile is identical with contents stored in the storage buffer 220 basedon the verification value of the corresponding file.

In step 720, the electronic device 100 may determine whether thecorresponding file is normal. The processor 180 may determine whetherthe corresponding file is a normal file or an abnormal file based on theintegrity of the corresponding file. That is, the processor 180 maydetermine whether the corresponding file is a normal file havingcontents stored in the storage buffer 220 or an abnormal file in which abroken phenomenon has occurred.

If it is determined that the corresponding file is abnormal in step 720,in step 730, the electronic device 100 may increase a count of theabnormal files. The processor 180 may increase the count by 1.Furthermore, in step 740, the electronic device 100 may compare thecount with a count threshold. In this case, the processor 180 maydetermine whether the count is greater than the count threshold.

If it is determined that the count is greater than the count thresholdin step 740, in step 750, the electronic device 100 may output aguidance message. In this case, the processor 180 may determine that thestorage device 10 has failed, and may output the guidance message. Theprocessor 180 may output the guidance message based on the failure ofthe storage device 10 through the output module 150.

If it is determined that the count is equal to or smaller than the countthreshold in step 740, in step 760, the electronic device 100 maydetermine whether a next file is present in the storage device 10. Thatis, the processor 180 may determine whether the integrity of all thefiles of the storage device 10 has been confirmed.

If it is determined that a next file is present in the storage device 10in step 760, the electronic device 100 may return to step 710.Thereafter, the electronic device 100 may repeatedly perform at leastsome of steps 710 to 760. The processor 180 may repeat at least some ofsteps 710 to 760 until it is determined that the count is greater thanthe count threshold in step 740 or it is determined that a next file isnot present in step 760.

If it is determined that a next file is not present in step 760, theelectronic device 100 may proceed to step 530. In this case, theprocessor 180 may determine that the storage device 10 is normal. Thatis, if an abnormal file having a count equal to or smaller than thecount threshold is preset in all the files of the storage device 10, theprocessor 180 may determine that the storage device 10 is normal.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the step (step 520) of determiningwhether the storage device 10 has failed in FIG. 5 according to stillanother embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 8 , in step 800, the electronic device 100 maydetermine whether the write protection mode has been set in the storagedevice 10. In this case, step 800 is similar to step 610 of FIG. 6 , andthus a detailed description thereof is omitted.

If it is determined that the write protection mode has been set in thestorage device 10 in step 800, in step 850, the electronic device 100may output a guidance message. In this case, the processor 180 maydetermine that the storage device 10 has failed, and may output theguidance message. The processor 180 may output the guidance messagebased on the failure of the storage device 10 through the output module150.

If the write protection mode has not been set in the storage device 10in step 800, in step 810, the electronic device 100 may confirm theintegrity of each of files of data stored in the storage device 10. Inthis case, steps 810 to 860 are similar to steps 710 to 760 of FIG. 7 ,and thus detailed descriptions thereof are omitted. Accordingly, if itis determined that the count is greater than a count threshold in step840, in step 850, the electronic device 100 may output a guidancemessage. In this case, the processor 180 may determine that the storagedevice 10 has failed, and may output the guidance message. If it isdetermined that the integrity of all the files of the storage device 10has been confirmed in step 860, the electronic device 100 may proceed tostep 530. In this case, the processor 180 may determine that the storagedevice 10 is normal. That is, if the write protection mode has not beenset in the storage device 10 and an abnormal file having a count equalto or smaller than the count threshold is present in all the files ofthe storage device 10, the processor 180 may determine that the storagedevice 10 is normal.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the step (step 550) of estimating thelifespan of the storage device 10 in FIG. 5 according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9 , in step 910, the electronic device 100 may storedata in the storage device 10. The processor 180 may store data in thestorage device 10 by using the storage buffer 220. The storage buffer220 may temporarily store data output by the data processing unit 210between the data processing unit 210 and the storage device 10.Accordingly, the storage device 10 may fetch data stored in the storagebuffer 220, and may store the data. In this case, when the lifespan ofthe storage device 10 sufficiently remains, an average write speed inthe storage device 10 is maintained within a normal range, and theamount of data stored in the storage buffer 220 may also be maintainedto a buffer threshold or less. Furthermore, when the lifespan of thestorage device 10 does not sufficiently remain, in order to recover astorage cell within the storage device 10 or relocate a storage cell toanother cell, an average write speed in the storage device 10 is reducedless than a normal range, and the amount of data stored in the storagebuffer 220 may be increased greater than a buffer threshold.

In step 920, the electronic device 100 may confirm the amount of datastored in the storage buffer 220, while storing data in the storagedevice 10 in step 910. In this case, the processor 180 may monitorwhether the amount of data stored in the storage buffer 220 is greaterthan a buffer threshold.

If it is determined that the amount of data stored in the storage buffer220 is greater than the buffer threshold in step 920, in step 930, theelectronic device 100 may output a guidance message. In this case, theprocessor 180 may consider that the lifespan of the storage device 10 isequal to or smaller than a use threshold, and may output the guidancemessage. The processor 180 may output the guidance message for replacingthe storage device 10 through the output module 150. For example, theprocessor 180 may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 basedon the amount of data stored in the storage buffer 220, and may generatethe guidance message so that the lifespan of the storage device 10 isindicted.

If it is determined that the amount of data stored in the storage buffer220 is equal to or smaller than the buffer threshold in step 920, instep 940, the electronic device 100 may determine whether to terminatestoring data in the storage device 10. The processor 180 may monitorwhether an event for terminating storing data in the storage device 10occurs.

If it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10 will notbe terminated in step 940, the electronic device 100 may return to step910. Thereafter, the electronic device 100 may repeatedly perform atleast some of steps 910 to 940. The processor 180 may repeat at leastsome of steps 910 to 940 until it is determined that the amount of datastored in the storage buffer 220 is greater than the buffer threshold instep 920 or it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10will be terminated in step 940. If it is determined that storing data inthe storage device 10 needs to be terminated in step 940, the electronicdevice 100 may terminate storing data in the storage device 10.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the step (step 550) of estimating thelifespan of the storage device 10 in FIG. 5 according to anotherembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 10 , in step 1010, the electronic device 100 maydetermine whether a use record of the storage device 10 is present. Forexample, if the electronic device 100 stores the use record database 250therein, the processor 180 may determine whether a use record of thestorage device 10 is present in the use record database 250 based onidentification information of the storage device 10. That is, theprocessor 180 may determine whether a record of the amount of datastored in the storage device 10 is present in the use record database250. For another example, if the storage device 10 stores the use recorddatabase 450 therein, the processor 180 may determine whether a recordof the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 is present in theuse record database 450.

If it is determined that the use record of the storage device 10 is notpresent in step 1010, in step 1020, the electronic device 100 maygenerate a record for the use record of the storage device 10. Forexample, if the electronic device 100 stores the use record database250, the processor 180 may generate the record in the use recorddatabase 250 based on identification information of the storage device10. For another example, if the storage device 10 stores the use recorddatabase 450, the processor 180 may generate a record in the use recorddatabase 450. Thereafter, the electronic device 100 may proceed to step1050.

If it is determined that the use record of the storage device 10 ispresent in step 1010, in step 1030, the electronic device 100 maycompare, with a storage threshold, a storage quantity estimated based onthe amount of data stored in the storage device 10. In this case, theprocessor 180 may estimate the storage quantity based on the product ofthe amount of data stored in the storage device 10 and a WAFpredetermined with respect to the storage device 10. Furthermore, theprocessor 180 may determine whether the storage quantity is equal to orgreater than a storage threshold. In this case, the storage thresholdmay be determined based on a maximum storage quantity, for example, aTBW predetermined by a manufacturer with respect to a correspondingstorage device 10. When the lifespan of the storage device 10sufficiently remains, the storage quantity is smaller than the TBW.Accordingly, the storage threshold may be determined as a value smallerthan the TBW.

If it is determined that the storage quantity of the storage device 10is equal to or greater than the storage threshold in step 1030, in step1040, the electronic device 100 may output a guidance message. In thiscase, the processor 180 may consider that the lifespan of the storagedevice 10 is smaller than a use threshold, and may output the guidancemessage. The processor 180 may output the guidance message for replacingthe storage device 10 through the output module 150. For example, theprocessor 180 may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 basedon the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 or the storagequantity of the storage device 10, and may generate the guidance messageso that the lifespan of the storage device 10 is indicated.

If it is determined that the storage quantity of the storage device 10is less than the storage threshold in step 1030, in step 1050, theelectronic device 100 may store data in the storage device 10.Alternatively, after generating a record for the storage device 10 instep 1020, in step 1050, the electronic device 100 may store data in thestorage device 10. In this case, the processor 180 may store data in thestorage device 10 by using the storage buffer 220.

In step 1060, the electronic device 100 may determine whether toterminate storing data in the storage device 10. The processor 180 maymonitor whether an event for terminating storing data in the storagedevice 10 occurs.

If it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10 will notbe terminated in step 1060, the electronic device 100 may return to step1050. Thereafter, the electronic device 100 may repeatedly perform steps1050 and 1060. The electronic device 100 may repeat steps 1050 and 1060until it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10 needsto be terminated in step 1060.

If it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10 needs tobe terminated in step 1060, in step 1070, the electronic device 100 mayrecord the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 and thenterminate storing data in the storage device 10. In this case, if it hasbeen determined that the use record of the storage device 10 is presentin step 910, the processor 180 may update the use record of the storagedevice 10 with the amount of data stored in the storage device 10. If arecord for the storage device 10 has been generated in step 920, theprocessor 180 may input, into the record, a record of the amount of datastored in the storage device 10. For example, if the electronic device100 stores the use record database 250, the processor 180 may record theamount of data stored in the storage device 10 on the use recorddatabase 250 based on identification information of the storage device10. For another example, if the storage device 10 stores the use recorddatabase 450, the processor 180 may record the amount of data stored inthe storage device 10 on the use record database 450.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating the step (step 550) of estimating thelifespan of the storage device 10 in FIG. 5 according to still anotherembodiment.

Referring to FIG. 11 , in step 1110, the electronic device 100 maydetermine whether a use record of the storage device 10 is present. Ifit is determined that the use record of the storage device 10 is notpresent in step 1110, in step 1120, the electronic device 100 maygenerate a record for the use record of the storage device 10. If it isdetermined that the use record of the storage device 10 is present instep 1110, in step 1130, the electronic device 100 may compare, with astorage threshold, a storage quantity estimated based on the amount ofdata stored in the storage device 10. In this case, steps 1110 to 1130are similar to steps 1010 to 1030 of FIG. 10 , and thus detaileddescriptions thereof are omitted.

If it is determined that the storage quantity of the storage device 10is equal to or greater than the storage threshold in step 1130, in step1150, the electronic device 100 may output a guidance message. In thiscase, the processor 180 may consider that the lifespan of the storagedevice 10 is smaller than a use threshold, and may output the guidancemessage. The processor 180 may output the guidance message for replacingthe storage device 10 through the output module 150. For example, theprocessor 180 may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 basedon the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 or the storagequantity of the storage device 10, and may generate the guidance messageso that the lifespan of the storage device 10 is indicated.

If it is determined that the storage quantity of the storage device 10is less than the storage threshold in step 1130, in step 1141, theelectronic device 100 may store data in the storage device 10.Alternatively, after the electronic device 100 generates a record forthe storage record of the storage device 10 in step 1120, in step 1141,the electronic device 100 may store data in the storage device 10. Inthis case, the processor 180 may store data in the storage device 10 byusing the storage buffer 220.

In step 1143, the electronic device 100 may confirm the amount of datastored in the storage buffer 220 while storing data in the storagedevice 10 in step 1141. In this case, the processor 180 may monitorwhether the amount of data stored in the storage buffer 220 is greaterthan the buffer threshold.

If it is determined that the amount of data stored in the storage buffer220 is greater than the buffer threshold in step 1143, in step 1150, theelectronic device 100 may output a guidance message. In this case, theprocessor 180 may consider that the lifespan of the storage device 10 issmaller than a use threshold, and may output the guidance message. Theprocessor 180 may output the guidance message for replacing the storagedevice 10 through the output module 150. For example, the processor 180may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 based on the amountof data stored in the storage buffer 220, and may generate the guidancemessage so that the lifespan of the storage device 10 is indicated.

If it is determined that the amount of data stored in the storage buffer220 is equal to or smaller than the buffer threshold in step 1143, instep 1160, the electronic device 100 may determine whether to terminatestoring data in the storage device 10. The processor 180 may monitorwhether an event for terminating storing data in the storage device 10occurs.

If it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10 will notbe terminated in step 1160, the electronic device 100 may return to step1141. Thereafter, the electronic device 100 may repeatedly perform atleast some of steps 1141, 1143, 1150, and 1160. The processor 180 mayrepeat at least some of steps 1141, 1143, 1150, and 1160 until it isdetermined that the amount of data stored in the storage buffer 220 isgreater than the buffer threshold in step 1143 or it is determined thatstoring data in the storage device 10 needs to be terminated in step1160.

If it is determined that storing data in the storage device 10 needs tobe terminated in step 1160, in step 1170, the electronic device 100 mayrecord the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 and thenterminate storing data in the storage device 10. In this case, step 1170is similar to step 1170 of FIG. 10 , and thus a detailed descriptionthereof is omitted.

According to various embodiments, the lifespan and failure of thenonvolatile memory storage device 10 on which the electronic device 100is mounted may be determined. In this case, the electronic device 100may check the lifespan of the storage device 10 based on stateinformation from the storage device 10 having a function of autonomouslyidentifying its state. In addition, the electronic device 100 mayestimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 not having the functionof autonomously identifying its state. In this case, the electronicdevice 100 may estimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 based on awrite characteristic of the storage device 10, for example, an averagewrite speed of the storage device 10 or the amount of data stored in thestorage device. That is, the electronic device 100 may determine thelifespan and failure of the storage device 10 regardless of the type ofstorage device 10 mounted thereon. Accordingly, the electronic device100 can accurately notify a user of the time when the storage device 10is replaced based on the lifespan and failure of the storage device 10.Accordingly, use efficiency of the storage device 10 can be increased.

Various embodiments may provide a method of the electronic device 100 onand from which the nonvolatile memory storage device 10 may be mountedand separated.

According to various embodiments, a method of the electronic device 100may include steps of detecting a connection with the storage device 10,estimating the lifespan of the storage device 10, and outputting aguidance message for replacing the storage device 10 based on thelifespan.

According to various embodiments, a method of the electronic device 100may further include steps of detecting identification information of thestorage device 10, confirming whether the storage device 10 has afunction of autonomously identifying its state based on theidentification information, and checking the lifespan of the storagedevice 10 based on state information received from the storage device 10if the storage device 10 has the function.

According to various embodiments, the step of estimating the lifespanmay include estimating the lifespan if the storage device 10 does nothave the function.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 100 may includethe storage buffer 220 configured to temporarily store data stored inthe storage device 10.

According to various embodiments, the step of estimating the lifespanmay include steps of storing data in the storage device 10 by using thestorage buffer 220 and generating a guidance message when the amount ofdata stored in the storage buffer 220 is greater than a bufferthreshold.

According to various embodiments, the step of generating the guidancemessage may include steps of estimating a lifespan based on the amountof data stored in the storage buffer 220 and generating the guidancemessage based on the lifespan.

According to various embodiments, a record for the amount of data storedin the storage device 10 may be present in at least one of theelectronic device 100 or the storage device 10.

According to various embodiments, the step of estimating the lifespanmay include a step of generating a guidance message when a storagequantity estimated based on the amount of data stored in the storagedevice 10 is equal to or greater than the storage threshold.

According to various embodiments, the storage quantity may be estimatedby the product of the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 anda predetermined write amplification factor (WAF) of the storage device10.

According to various embodiments, the step of generating the guidancemessage may include steps of estimating a lifespan based on the storagequantity and generating the guidance message based on the lifespan.

According to various embodiments, the step of estimating the lifespanmay further include steps of storing data in the storage device 10 whenthe storage quantity is less than the storage threshold and updating arecord when terminating storing data in data.

According to various embodiments, a method of the electronic device 100may further include steps of determining whether the storage device 10has failed in response to the connection with the storage device 10 andoutputting a guidance message if the storage device 10 has failed.

According to various embodiments, the step of determining the failuremay include a step of determining that the storage device 10 has failedif the write protection mode has been set in the storage device 10.

According to various embodiments, the write protection mode may be setin the storage device 10 when the lifespan of the storage device 10 isreached.

According to various embodiments, the step of determining the failuremay include steps of checking a count of abnormal files by checking theintegrity of each of files of data stored in the storage device 10 anddetermining that the storage device 10 has failed when the count isgreater than a count threshold.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 100 may storeverification values of the respective files while storing the data inthe storage device 10 as the files.

According to various embodiments, the integrity may be confirmed basedon the verification values.

Various embodiments may provide the electronic device 100 on and fromwhich the nonvolatile memory storage device 10 can be mounted andseparated.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 100 may includethe connection terminal 120 configured for a connection with the storagedevice 10 and the processor 180 connected to the connection terminal 120and configured to store data in the storage device 10 through theconnection terminal 120.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured toestimate the lifespan of the storage device 10 and to output a guidancemessage for replacing the storage device 10 based on the lifespan.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured todetect identification information of the storage device 10, confirmwhether the storage device 10 has a function of autonomously identifyingits state based on the identification information, and check thelifespan of the storage device 10 based on state information receivedfrom the storage device 10 when the storage device 10 has the function.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured toestimate the lifespan if the storage device 10 does not have thefunction.

According to various embodiments, the electronic device 100 may furtherinclude the storage buffer 220 configured to temporarily store datastored in the storage device 10.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured tostore data in the storage device 10 by using the storage buffer 220 andto

generate a guidance message when the amount of data stored in thestorage buffer 220 is greater than a buffer threshold.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured toestimate a lifespan based on the amount of data stored in the storagebuffer 220 and to generate a guidance message based on the lifespan.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured tocheck a record for the amount of data stored in the storage device 10and to generate a guidance message when a storage quantity estimatedbased on the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 is equal toor greater than a storage threshold.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 100 may furtherinclude the use record database 250 having a record for the amount ofdata stored in the storage device 10.

According to another embodiment, the storage device 10 may have a recordfor the amount of data stored in the storage device 10.

According to various embodiments, the storage quantity may be estimatedby the product of the amount of data stored in the storage device 10 anda predetermined write amplification factor (WAF) of the storage device10.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured toestimate a lifespan based on the storage quantity and to generate aguidance message based on the lifespan.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured tostore data in the storage device 10 when a storage quantity is smallerthan a storage threshold and to update a record for the amount of datastored in the storage device 10 when terminating storing data.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured todetermine whether the storage device 10 has failed in response to aconnection with the storage device 10 and to output a guidance messageif the storage device 10 has failed.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured todetermine that the storage device 10 has failed if the write protectionmode has been set in the storage device 10.

According to various embodiments, the write protection mode may be setin the storage device 10 when the lifespan of the storage device 10 isreached.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured tocheck a count of abnormal files by confirm the integrity of each of thefiles of data stored in the storage device 10 and to determine that thestorage device 10 has failed when the count is greater than a countthreshold.

According to various embodiments, the processor 180 may be configured tostore verification values of the respective files while storing the datain the storage device 10 as the files and to check the integrity basedon the verification values.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a vehicle on which the electronicdevice 100 is mounted according to various embodiments. FIG. 13 is adiagram illustrating the electronic device 100 of FIG. 12 .

Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13 , a control device 2100 (e.g., theelectronic device 100 in FIG. 1 ) according to various embodiments maybe mounted on a vehicle. In this case, the vehicle may be an autonomousvehicle 2000.

According to various embodiments, the control device 2100 may include acontroller 2120 including a memory 2122 (e.g., the memory 170 in FIG. 1) and a processor 2124 (e.g., the processor 180 in FIG. 1 ), a sensor2130 (e.g., the sensor module 160 in FIG. 1 ), a wireless communicationdevice (e.g., the communication module 130 in FIG. 1 ), an LIDAR 2140(e.g., the sensor module 160 in FIG. 1 ), and a camera module 2150(e.g., the camera module 110 in FIG. 1 ).

According to various embodiments, the controller 2120 may be configuredupon fabrication by a manufacturer of a vehicle or may be additionallyconfigured in order to perform a function for autonomous driving afterfabrication. Alternatively, the controller 2120 may include a componentfor performing a continuous and additional function through the updateof the controller 2120 configured upon fabrication.

The controller 2120 may transmit a control signal to the sensor 2110, anengine 2006, a user interface (UI) 2008, the wireless communicationdevice 2130, the LIDAR 2140, and the camera module 2150 included asother components within the vehicle. Furthermore, although notillustrated, the control signal may also be transmitted to anacceleration device, a braking system, a steering device, or anavigation device related to the driving of the vehicle.

According to various embodiments, the controller 2120 may control theengine 2006, may detect a speed limit in a road on which the autonomousvehicle 2000 runs, for example, and may control the engine 2006 so thata driving speed does not exceed the speed limit, or may control theengine 2006 to accelerate the driving speed of the autonomous vehicle2000 within a range that does not exceed the speed limit. Furthermore,additionally, when sensing modules 2004a, 2004b, 2004c, and 2004d detectan environment outside the vehicle and transmit information on theenvironment to the sensor 2110, the controller 2120 may receive theinformation, may generate a signal that controls the engine 2006 or asteering device (not illustrated), and may control the driving of thevehicle.

If another vehicle or an obstacle is present ahead of the vehicle, thecontroller 2120 may control the engine 2006 or the braking system sothat a driving speed is reduced, and may control a track, a drivingpath, a steering angle in addition to the speed. Alternatively, thecontroller 2120 may generate required control signals based on otherrecognition information of an external environment, such as a drivinglane of a vehicle and a driving signal, and may control the driving ofthe vehicle.

The controller 2120 may perform communication with a surrounding vehicleor a central server in addition to the generation of its own controlsignal, and may also control the driving of the vehicle by transmittinga command for controlling peripheral devices based on the receivedinformation.

Furthermore, if a location of the camera module 2150 is changed or aview angle is changed, it may be difficult for the controller 2120 torecognize an accurate vehicle or lane. In order to prevent such aproblem, the controller 2120 may generate a control signal forcontrolling the camera module 2150 to be calibrated. Accordingly, thecontroller 2120 may generate a calibration control signal to the cameramodule 2150. Accordingly, although the location where the camera module2150 is mounted is changed due to vibration or an impact occurring inresponse to a movement of the autonomous vehicle 2000, a normal mountinglocation, direction, view angle, etc. of the camera module 2150 can becontinuously maintained. If information on previously stored firstmounting location, direction, or view angle of the camera module 2120and information on the first mounting location, direction, or view angleof the camera module 2120 measured while the autonomous vehicle 2000runs are different from each other by a threshold value or more, thecontroller 2120 may generate a control signal so that calibration isperformed on the camera module 2120.

According to various embodiments, the controller 2120 may include thememory 2122 and the processor 2124. The processor 2124 may executesoftware stored in the memory 2122 in response to a control signal fromthe controller 2120. Specifically, the controller 2120 may store, in thememory 2122, data and instructions for determining the lifespan andfailure of a nonvolatile memory storage device (e.g., the storage device10 in FIG. 1 ) according to various embodiments. The instructions may beexecuted by the processor 2124 in order to implement one or more methodsdisclosed herein.

In this case, the memory 2122 may be stored in a nonvolatile recordingmedium executable by the processor 2124. The memory 2122 may storesoftware and data therein through an external device. The memory 2122may consist of a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), ahard disk or the memory 2122 connected to a dongle.

The memory 2122 may store at least an operating system (OS), a userapplication, and executable instructions. The memory 2122 may also storeapplication data, and array data structures.

The processor 2124 is a micro processor or a proper electronicprocessor, and may be a controller, a micro controller or a statemachine.

The processor 2124 may be implemented as a combination of computingdevices. The computing device may be a digital signal processor, a microprocessor or a proper combination of them.

Furthermore, according to various embodiments, the control device 2100may monitor characteristics inside and outside the autonomous vehicle2000 and detect states inside and outside the autonomous vehicle 2000through the at least one sensor 2110.

The sensor 2110 may consist of at least one sensing module 2004. Thesensing module 2004 may be implemented at a specific location of theautonomous vehicle 2000 depending on a detection object. The sensingmodule 2004 may be disposed at the bottom, rear end, front end, top orside of the autonomous vehicle 2000, and may also be disposed in a partwithin the vehicle or a tire.

Accordingly, the sensing module 2004 may detect information related todriving, such as the engine 2006, a tire, a steering angle, a speed, andweight of the vehicle as internal information of the vehicle.Furthermore, the at least one sensing module 2004 may consist of anacceleration sensor, a gyroscope, an image sensor, a RADAR, anultrasonic sensor, a LiDAR sensor, etc., and may detect motioninformation of the autonomous vehicle 2000.

The sensing module 2004 may receive specific data related to externalenvironment states, such as information on the state of a road where theautonomous vehicle 2000 is placed, information on surrounding vehicles,and weather, as external information, and may also detect correspondingparameters of the vehicle. The detected information may be stored in thememory 2122 temporarily or depending on a long term purpose.

According to various embodiments, the sensor 2110 may integrate andcollect information of the sensing modules 2004 for collectinginformation generated inside and outside the autonomous vehicle 2000.

The control device 2100 may further include the wireless communicationdevice 2130 (e.g., the communication module 130).

The wireless communication device 2130 is configured to implementwireless communication between autonomous vehicles 2000. For example,the wireless communication device 2130 enables the autonomous vehicle2000 to communicate with a mobile phone of a user, another wirelesscommunication device 2130, another vehicle, a central device (trafficcontrol device), a server, etc. The wireless communication device 2130may transmit and receive wireless signals according to an access radioprotocol. The wireless communication protocol may be Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,long-term evolution (LTE), code division multiple access (CDMA),wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), or global systems formobile communications (GSM), but is not limited thereto.

Furthermore, according to various embodiments, the autonomous vehicle2000 may implement communication between vehicles through the wirelesscommunication device 2130. That is, the wireless communication device2130 may perform communication with another vehicle on a road and othervehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication. The autonomousvehicle 2000 may transmit and receive information, such as a drivingwarning and traffic information, through V2V communication, and mayrequest information from another vehicle or receive information fromanother vehicle. For example, the wireless communication device 2130 mayperform V2V communication by using a designated short-rangecommunication (DSRC) device or celluar-V2V (C-V2V) device. Furthermore,communication between a vehicle and another thing (e.g., an electronicdevice carried by a pedestrian) (vehicle to everything (V2X)communication in addition to the V2V communication may be implementedthrough the wireless communication device 2130.

Furthermore, the control device 2100 may include the LIDAR 2140. TheLIDAR 2140 may detect an object around the autonomous vehicle 2000 whileoperating by using data sensed through the LIDAR. The LIDAR 2140 maytransmit the detected information to the controller 2120. The controller2120 may operate the autonomous vehicle 2000 based on the detectedinformation. For example, if a vehicle running at a low speed is placedahead of the autonomous vehicle 2000 based on the detected information,the controller 2120 may instruct the engine 2006 to reduce the speed ofthe autonomous vehicle 2000. Alternatively, the controller 2120 mayinstruct the autonomous vehicle 2000 to reduce an entry speed based oncurvature of a curve that the autonomous vehicle 2000 enters.

The control device 2100 may further include the camera module 2150. Thecontroller 2120 may extract object from an external image captured bythe camera module 2150, and may process corresponding information.

Furthermore, the control device 2100 may further include imaging devicesfor recognizing an external environment. In addition to the LIDAR 2140,a RADAR, a GPS device, an odometer and other computer vision devices maybe used. These devices selectively operate according to circumstances,enabling more precise detection.

The autonomous vehicle 2000 may further include the user interface 2008for the aforementioned user input to the control device 2100. The userinterface 2008 enables a user to input information through a properinteraction. For example, the user interface 2008 may be implemented asa touch screen, a keypad, a manipulation button, etc. The user interface2008 may transmit an input or an instruction to the controller 2120. Thecontroller 2120 may perform an operation of controlling the vehicle inresponse to the input or instruction.

Furthermore, the user interface 2008 may enable a device outside theautonomous vehicle 2000 to perform communication with the autonomousvehicle 2000 through the wireless communication device 2130. Forexample, the user interface 2008 may enable an operation in conjunctionwith a mobile phone, a tablet, or other computer devices.

Moreover, according to various embodiments, the autonomous vehicle 2000has been described as including the engine 2006, but may include anothertype of propel system. For example, the vehicle may be driven byelectric energy, or by hydrogen energy or by a hybrid system in whichelectric energy and hydrogen energy are combined. Accordingly, thecontroller 2120 may include a propel mechanism according to the propelsystem of the autonomous vehicle 2000, and may provide a correspondingcontrol signal to the components of the propel mechanism.

Hereinafter, detailed components of the control device 2100 fordetermining the lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memory storagedevice (e.g., the storage device 10 in FIG. 1 ) according to variousembodiments are more specifically described with reference to FIG. 13 .

The control device 2100 includes the processor 2124. The processor 2124may be a general-purpose single or multi-chip micro processor, adedicated micro processor, a microcontroller, a programmable gate array,etc. The processor may also be denoted as a central processing unit(CPU). Furthermore, according to various embodiments, the processor 2124may be used as a combination of a plurality of processors.

Furthermore, the control device 2100 includes the memory 2122. Thememory 2122 may be a given electronic component capable of storingelectronic information. The memory 2122 may also include a combinationof memories 2122 in addition to a single memory.

According to various embodiments, instructions and data 2122 a and 2122b for determining the lifespan and failure of a nonvolatile memorystorage device (e.g., the storage device 10 in FIG. 1 ) may be stored inthe memory 2122. When the processor 2124 executes the instruction 2122a, the instructions 2122 a and some or all of the data 2122 b necessaryto perform an instruction may be loaded onto the processor 2124 (2124 a,2124 b).

The control device 2100 may include a transmitter 2130 a, a receiver2130 b or a transceiver 2130 c for permitting the transmission andreception of signals. One or more antennas 2132 a and 2132 b may beelectrically connected to the transmitter 2130 a, the receiver 2130 b orthe transceiver 2130 c, and may additionally include antennas.

The control device 2100 may include a digital signal processor (DSP)2170. The vehicle can rapidly process a digital signal through the DSP2170.

The control device 2100 may include a communication interface 2180. Thecommunication interface 2180 may include one or more ports and/orcommunication modules for connecting other devices and the controldevice 2100. The communication interface 2180 may enable a user and thecontrol device 2100 to interface with each other.

Various elements of the control device 2100 may be connected by one ormore buses 2190. The buses 2190 may include power buses, control signalbuses, state signal buses, data buses, etc. Components may mutuallyexchange information and perform a target function through the buses2190 under the control of the processor 2124.

The aforementioned device may be implemented by a hardware component, asoftware component and/or a combination of a hardware component and asoftware component. For example, the device and components described inthe embodiments may be implemented using one or more general-purposecomputers or special-purpose computers, like a processor, a controller,an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, amicrocomputer, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmablelogic unit (PLU), a microprocessor or any other device capable ofexecuting or responding to an instruction. The processing device mayperform an operating system (OS) and one or more software applicationsexecuted on the OS. Furthermore, the processing device may access,store, manipulate, process and generate data in response to theexecution of software. For convenience of understanding, one processingdevice has been illustrated as being used, but a person having ordinaryskill in the art may understand that the processing device may include aplurality of processing elements and/or a plurality of types ofprocessing elements. For example, the processing device may include aplurality of processors or a single processor and a single controller.Furthermore, a different processing configuration, such as a parallelprocessor, is also possible.

Software may include a computer program, a code, an instruction or acombination of one or more of them and may configure a processing deviceso that the processing device operates as desired or may instruct theprocessing devices independently or collectively. The software and/orthe data may be embodied in any type of machine, component, physicaldevice, virtual equipment or computer storage medium or device in orderto be interpreted by the processor or to provide an instruction or datato the processing device. The software may be distributed to computersystems connected over a network and may be stored or executed in adistributed manner. The software and the data may be stored in one ormore computer-readable recording media.

The method according to various embodiments may be implemented in theform of a program instruction executable by various computer means andstored in a computer-readable medium. In this case, the medium maycontinue to store a program executable by a computer or may temporarilystore the program for execution or download. Furthermore, the medium maybe various recording means or storage means of a form in which one or aplurality of pieces of hardware has been combined. The medium is notlimited to a medium directly connected to a computer system, but may beone distributed over a network. Examples of the medium may be magneticmedia such as a hard disk, a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, opticalmedia such as a CD-ROM and a DVD, magneto-optical media such as afloptical disk, and media configured to store program instructions,including, a ROM, a RAM, and a flash memory. Furthermore, other examplesof the medium may include an app store in which apps are distributed, asite in which various pieces of other software are supplied ordistributed, and recording media and/or storage media managed in aserver.

Various embodiments of this document and the terms used in theembodiments are not intended to limit the technology described in thisdocument to a specific embodiment, but should be construed as includingvarious changes, equivalents and/or alternatives of a correspondingembodiment. Regarding the description of the drawings, similar referencenumerals may be used in similar elements. An expression of the singularnumber may include an expression of the plural number unless clearlydefined otherwise in the context. In this document, an expression, suchas “A or B”, “at least one of A or/and B”, “A, B or C” or “at least oneof A, B and/or C”, may include all of possible combinations of listeditems together. Expressions, such as “a first,” “a second,” “the first”and “the second”, may modify corresponding elements regardless of thesequence and/or importance, and are used to only distinguish one elementfrom the other element and do not limit corresponding elements. When itis described that one (e.g., first) element is “(operatively orcommunicatively) connected to” or “coupled with” the other (e.g.,second) element, one element may be directly connected to the otherelement or may be connected to the other element through another element(e.g., third element).

The “module” used in this document includes a unit configured ashardware, software or firmware, and may be interchangeably used with aterm, such as logic, a logical block, a part or a circuit. The modulemay be an integrated part, a minimum unit to perform one or morefunctions, or a part thereof. For example, the module may be configuredas an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

According to various embodiments, each of elements (e.g., module orprogram) may include a single entity or a plurality of entities.According to various embodiments, one or more of the aforementionedelements or operations may be omitted or one or more other elements oroperations may be added. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality ofelements (e.g., modules or programs) may be integrated into a singleelement. In such a case, the integrated element may perform one or morefunctions of each of the plurality of elements identically or similarlyto a function performed by a corresponding element of the plurality ofelements before they are integrated. According to various embodiments,operations performed by a module, a program or other elements may beexecuted sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or heuristically, or oneor more of the operations may be executed in different order or may beomitted, or one or more operations may be added.

1. A method of an electronic device on and from which a storage deviceis mounted and separated comprising: determining whether the storagedevice is in failure or normal; outputting a guidance message forreplacing the storage device when the storage device is determined asfailure; estimating a lifespan of the storage device when the storagedevice is determined as normal; and determining whether to output theguidance message for replacing the storage device based on the estimatedlifespan.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device isdetermined as normal when a write protection mode is not set in thestorage device.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the storage device isdetermined as failure when a write protection mode is set in the storagedevice.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the write protection mode isset in the storage device when the storage device reaches the lifespan.5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether thestorage device is in failure or normal is performed when the electronicdevice detects the connection with the storage device.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the step of determining whether the storage device isin failure or normal is performed based on the integrity of files ofdata stored in the storage device.
 7. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: detecting identification information of the storage device;and receiving state information from the storage device.
 8. The methodof claim 7, further comprising: determining whether the storage devicehas a function of autonomously identifying its state based on theidentification information.
 9. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: checking the lifespan of the storage device based on thestate information if the storage device has the function; or estimatingthe lifespan of the storage device if the storage device does not havethe function.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of estimatingthe lifespan of the storage device is performed based on record of theamount of data stored in the storage device.
 11. An electronic device onand from which a storage device is mounted and separated comprising: aconnection terminal configured for a connection with the storage device;and a processor connected to the connection terminal and configured tostore data in the storage device through the connection terminal,wherein the processor is configured to: determine whether the storagedevice is in failure or normal; output a guidance message for replacingthe storage device when the storage device is determined as failure;estimate a lifespan of the storage device when the storage device isdetermined as normal; and determine whether to output the guidancemessage for replacing the storage device based on the estimatedlifespan.
 12. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the storagedevice is determined as normal when a write protection mode is not setin the storage device.
 13. The electronic device of claim 11, whereinthe storage device is determined as failure when a write protection modeis set in the storage device.
 14. The electronic device of claim 13,wherein the write protection mode is set in the storage device when thestorage device reaches the lifespan.
 15. The electronic device of claim11, wherein the processor determines whether the storage device is infailure or normal when the processor detects the connection with thestorage device.
 16. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein theprocessor determines whether the storage device is in failure or normalbased on the integrity of files of data stored in the storage device.17. The electronic device of claim 11, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: detect identification information of the storage device;and receive state information from the storage device.
 18. Theelectronic device of claim 17, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: determine whether the storage device has a function ofautonomously identifying its state based on the identificationinformation.
 19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein theprocessor is further configured to: check the lifespan of the storagedevice based on the state information if the storage device has thefunction; or estimating the lifespan of the storage device if thestorage device does not have the function.
 20. The electronic device ofclaim 19, wherein the processor estimates the lifespan of the storagedevice based on record of the amount of data stored in the storagedevice.